Isle of Wight College is consulting, via planning consultants Vail Williams, on plans for new facilities.

The following is taken from information provided by Vail Williams…

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The proposed development is for the demolition of existing 1950s College buildings and replacing them with a modern consolidated facility to accommodate programmes for Electrical Installation, Travel & Tourism, Public Services, Performing Arts, Hospitality and Sports and Fitness departments.

The new facility building will bring a focus to the campus and provide a main entrance, ‘Welcome Hub’ and dining refectory forming the heart of the site.

Following pre-application discussions with planning officers, the development team have now arranged for a public information website to be shared. This will give local residents the opportunity to find out more and make comment upon the emerging proposals.

If you are unable to view this website and would like to see a copy of the consultation boards, please contact: Ben Christian – 02380 820900 – solentplanning@vailwilliams.com

There will be a further opportunity to provide a formal response to the proposals once a planning application has been submitted later this year.

The following is taken from information publicised by Isle of Wight Council…

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Island homes and businesses directly affected by the recent floods are now able to apply for UK Government funded support.

The Isle of Wight Council is administering a package of support, including a Community Recovery Grant of £500 per household to help with immediate costs.

Full details including how affected residents can apply will be available on a dedicated webpage on the council’s website.

Community Recovery Grant

Flooded households in affected areas can apply for up to £500 to give cash quickly to help with immediate costs.  

The grant is available to primary homes that have suffered internal flood damage, or for people who were not able to live in their property, as a direct result of Storm Babet between 19 and 25 October.

Second homes and empty properties are not eligible.

Business Recovery Grant

Small-to-medium sized businesses in affected areas will be eligible for up to £2,500 from the Business Recovery Grant to help them return quickly to business as usual. 

Businesses eligible to apply include those which experienced flooding to their business premises and or those which experienced restricted access to their premises as a result of the flood, and which experienced a loss of trade as a result.

Storage facilities are not eligible.

Council Tax Discount and Business Rate Relief Schemes

Flooded households may also be eligible for a 100 per cent council tax discount for a minimum of three months — this means affected residents will not have to pay council tax during this period.

After three months, if residents have not been able to return home, they may not have to pay council tax until they move back to their home. The Government scheme does not apply to empty homes, second homes or student accommodation.

Businesses that have not been able to operate due to flooding at their premises may be eligible for 100 per cent Business Rates Relief for a minimum of three months.

How to apply: 

Both households and business owners can apply for flood relief by completing an application form at https://www.iow.gov.uk/keep-the-island-safe/severe-weather/november-2023-flood-support/ 

Please give us as much information as possible when you apply. Upload any supporting evidence like photographs of the damage with your application form. We may also need to visit the property.

If you need any further information or help with an application, please contact the council at iwcfloodrecovery@iow.gov.uk or call 01983 823111.

The Ryde Help Centre in Ryde Library will also be open tomorrow from 10.30am until 7.30pm (it will be closed between 2.30pm-3.30pm) to help people complete their applications. Appointments can also be made at Newport Help Centre at County Hall by calling the number above.

Following my request to Island Roads, they have told me their District Steward and Drainage Engineer investigated the cause of the flooding by the bus stop opposite the hospital. They followed the watercourse to what appears to be a blocked outfall on the prison site.

The Drainage Engineer has spoken with the prison site manager who advised that they were aware of the issue and had instructed a drainage contractor to attend, but they had insufficient equipment to rectify the issue so should be re-attending shortly to deal with the blockage.

Once the prison site has sorted out the blockage, this should resolve the issue with the gullies slow draining the carriageway surface water.

Island Roads also followed up on my report about running water on Forest Road. They cleared and flushed through the gully outside the primary school on Forest Road with no apparent issues.

Isle of Wight Lib Dem councillors are calling for Isle of Wight Council to continue to support a call for a special act of parliament to tackle the issues facing the Island.

This has been an issue spearheaded by Cllr Michael Lilley, who joined the Lib Dem group earlier this year.

The following is from Michael as a guest post…

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Cllr Nick Stuart is putting forward a motion at tomorrow night’s (Wednesday, 15 November) IW Council meeting in support of pursuance of an Island Act. I will be seconding it and voting in favour.

Since I was elected as an IW Councillor since 2017, I have every year brought a similar motion and called for specific Island legislation as opposed to pursuance of an Island Deal.

The Conservative Government and the Conservative Party on the Isle of Wight have ignored the concept of getting a specific Island Act and talked continually about a deal.

This has never materialised although the University of Portsmouth Report (2017) clearly identified the Isle of Wight financially was £6M in deficit before a financial year begins compared to the mainland due to the reality of the Solent and being an Island.

Impact of Physical Seperation – Phase 1 (1).pdf

6 years later this £6M is more likely to be £30M plus. An Island Deal is just a one-off and does not get to the root of the inequality of Island residents compared to their counterparts on the mainland. After 6 years we have only seen a trickle of funds, the odd £1 here and £1M there. Parliament has formed an all-party Islands forum which IW Council takes part in, and there is currently discussions with Government on assistance but as yet nothing has bared fruit.

However, the fares across the Solent have rocketed and even with 50% off for those travelling for NHS treatment have to pay a minimum of £32 one-way for travelling by car as they are not well-enough to travel as foot-passenger. Continually, Island residents have planning decisions based around legislation written for mainland England which does not translate into the reality of being an Island. The costs of our children’s services is significantly higher on the Island than those of a local authority on the mainland due to the costs of crossing the Solent. I have always argued that no deal does not get to grips of the Island’s problems and only legislation gets real and long-lasting change.

The IW Liberal Democratic Party have now come fully into support of the getting either a private member’s Bill or private Act through parliament and tomorrow night’s debate and vote is to get the current Alliance administration to officially get IW Council fully on board. It would be good to get the whole Council’s support. The below links give you a details of my campaign since 2017 for an Island Act.

The Isle of Wight needs an ‘Island Act’ not ‘Island Plan’, says Cllr (onthewight.com)

Isle of Wight’s unique status should be legally recognised says councillor (onthewight.com)

Call for Act of Parliament to give greater equality for Isle of Wight residents rejected by Tory councillors (onthewight.com)

Letter: Isle of Wight’s £20+ million reason for an Isle of Wight Act? (onthewight.com)

The motion is as follows:

The Council believes that Isle of Wight Residents are unfairly and unequally treated by the UK Government compared to mainland residents.

Council recognises that the Island Forum provides a chance to raise these concerns that it is insufficient to ensure that the Isle of Wight gets the fair treatment it deserves.

Council believes a legislative solution would ensure that the Isle of Wight secures equitable treatment that is long-lasting. Such legislation should include, but not limited to, a system to deliver.

1. Fair funding to Isle of Wight and other public services
2. Fair approaches for cross-Solent services by way of regulation, service obligation and government subsidy
3. Equal health services on the Island that maximises opportunities for local treatment and minimises the need for residents to travel to the mainland

The Council will take all steps necessary to pursue central Government to deliver a fair outcome for the Island.

Yesterday, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight launched a consultation on how much we are charged for policing. This is known as the Police Precept.

The survey is quite short and also asks about residents’ general policing priorities.

The consultation closes on 10 December.

This morning (8 November 2023), the northbound carriageway of Parkhurst Road opposite the hospital flooded.

I saw a number of cars which had to slow sharply just after coming through St Mary’s junction. Some naturally changed to the outside lane, but this wasn’t always easy or possible with other traffic coming through on that lane.

And, of course, water was being splashed up onto the pavement by the bus stop where passengers would be waiting.

I’ve asked Island Roads to let me know what they discover caused the flooding – was there a blockage or was it just that the drains were overwhelmed by rainwater.

I’ve also raised how water doesn’t drain away in part of Forest Road and I’ve asked if the two issues are linked.

Flood advice and guidance – IW Council’s contact centre on 01983 823111 and Council website which includes latest updates. Southern Water for anyone whose water goes off and is vulnerable, call 0330 303 0368. Latest flood warnings – Environment Agency website. Sign up to flood warnings on the government website

Flood advice and guidance – IW Council’s contact centre on 01983 823111 and Council website which includes latest updates. Southern Water for anyone whose water goes off and is vulnerable, call 0330 303 0368. Latest flood warnings – Environment Agency website. Sign up to flood warnings on the government website

The last few days have seen very heavy rains and immense damage and disruption across the Island. Locally, we’ve seen the awful impact on Hunnyhill Aquatics in particular.

I’ve welcomed the call by the leader of Isle of Wight Council, Cllr Phil Jordan, for an urgent review of the actions taken by all those who have a role in responding to the effects of heavy rain and flooding. All staff have worked hard to minimise the effects as things unfolded. So it will be about working out if any preparations and decisions could have been made in advance.

Earlier this week the government announced financial help for businesses and households affected by Storm Babet. Hopefully, the government will ensure the Isle of Wight will be included in the areas that will benefit.

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In the meantime, Isle of Wight Council has issued this advice (which is also on their website):

In some emergency situations, we will instruct Island Roads to position stocks of sandbags at the following locations: Well Road, East Cowes Simeon Street Recreation Ground, Ryde St Mary’s Car Park, Cowes Carisbrooke High Street, Car park Lugley Street Car Park, Newport Brookfield Gardens, Binstead Additional sandbag locations may be identified based upon the forecast impacts of flooding and in areas where the Environment Agency has advised that there is a potential risk of flooding. Please keep a watch on Isle of Wight Facebook / our news pages for additional locations. Unused sandbags Wherever possible, store full bags that have not come into contact with floodwater in a dry shady place to use again if you need them in the future. Sacking material is normally biodegradable and will perish if left in place for a long time. It is therefore advisable to empty sacks and keep them dry for re-use. Store the sand in your garden, or yard for future use. If you do not want to store the sand or the bags, once empty the bags can be placed in your normal household waste and the sand dug into the garden, if you have one, or taken to the household waste recycling centre. Used sandbags Sandbags tend to retain contaminants such as sewage and oils when they come into contact with floodwater. Ensure you wear gloves and wash hands thoroughly after handling. If sandbags are contaminated by floodwater you should take them to your local household waste recycling centre and inform the staff that they have been contaminated. Where this is not possible you should seek advice from us on 01983 823111 to find out if other options are available to dispose of the sandbags. Do not place full sandbags or the sand in you household waste. Do not allow children to play with the sand or place it in sand pits due to the risks from possible contamination. If in doubt, contact the council’s environmental health department on 01983 823000 for advice. Used sandbags are not classified as contaminated if: – used to retain surface water / ground water, which has had no or short term and limited exposure to sewage – do not smell of sewage or oil – shows no visual signs of being contaminated by sewage or oil Used sandbags are classified as contaminated if: – used to retain raw sewage – used to protect / retain sources of oil – used to retain surface water / ground water, which has had continual exposure to sewage or oils smells of sewage or oil – shows visual signs of being contaminated by sewage or oil If there has been widespread flooding and large quantities of sandbags have been deployed, we may arrange for the collection of used sandbags from specific collection points. If this is the case, we will provide details on where and when collections will be undertaken. After a flood In the event of a flood, try to avoid contact with the flood water. Do not drive through flood water and do not let children play in it. Take care if you must go through flood water as there could be hidden dangers like sharp objects, raised manhole covers and pollution. When cleaning up after a flood, wear rubber gloves, boots and eye protection, and wash your hands afterwards. If your home is flooded, do not use petrol or diesel generators indoors to dry out your home. The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, which can kill. The Environment Agency has produced a leaflet called What do I do after a flood? (PDF, 213KB) to assist residents and businesses after a flood. Waste Residents should speak with their insurers to see if they will cover waste disposal costs for a private waste carrier and should always should ensure their insurance are happy for them to start clearing the property. Where possible, residents should use Household Waste Recycling Centre’s (free for householders to take their waste)  or the Bulky Waste (£40 for up to 4 items).  In respect of uninsured persons, we will review requests for assistance on a case by case basis to ensure those who are vulnerable and in financial hardship are provided assistance.  Replacement Bins Many properties will have lost bins in the floods – in these circumstances free black bins can be made available as well as usual recycling receptacles. Preparing for a flood You can prepare for flooding by following some simple steps: Check the Environment Agency website to find out if your area is at risk from flooding and advice on how to protect your property. Make a personal flood plan or a flood plan for communities and groups. Prepare your business for flooding using advice on the government wesite. Sign up online for floodline warnings direct. It is a free service that provides flood warnings direct to you by telephone, mobile or email. You can also sign up by calling 0345 988 1188.

A planning application has been submitted by Captiva Homes for 203 houses and flats on the Acorn Farm site at Horsebridge Hill.

The plans and their many supporting documents are on the council’s planning register webpages.

The council’s planning public consultation is under way with a deadline of 3 November 2023. Please note that this is a change on the original date of 20 October 2023. There is also helpful advice on making effective comments.

The developer, Captiva Homes, has also set up a web page about their application.

This describes the plans as providing:

• 72 one-bed Key Worker Accommodation flats
• 131 ‘open market homes’ which will be converted to affordable in partnership with Sovereign Housing as a mix of socially rented and discounted market sale homes

The plans also include a play area, and pedestrian and cycling links connecting the site and Horsebridge Hill to Dodnor Lane.

If this application is approved then this could help many Islanders get a home that they can afford to rent or buy.

I am particularly concerned, however, at Island Roads’ comments on the lack of information regarding the impact on local road junctions and on the highways network generally.

It’s vital that there is this information as Horsebridge Hill is on the main route between Newport and Cowes with a high volume of traffic for most of the day.

The following is adapted from an Isle of Wight Council press release…

Changes to parking restrictions covering multiple locations across the Newport and Carisbrooke area are included in a new consultation published by Isle of Wight Council.

Among the proposals are:

• Grange Drive and Vicarage Walk – the council proposes extending the existing parking restriction and cover the junction to improve access, visibility and safety when exiting and entering this narrow lane.
• Hunnyhill – near junction with Worsley Road, and with Hookes Way – the council is proposing that the old “Limited waiting” parking restriction in this road is not sufficient anymore, and that both junctions are overparked. A new “No waiting at any time” restriction is proposed to cover the junctions and improve visibility, access and safety.
• Hogan Road – There was an old “No waiting at any time” parking restriction in this location, which was removed while ago and the lines are no longer on site; nothing is being changed other than to remove the old legal order.
• Worsley Road – the double yellow line will be extended as the existing fire hydrant needs protection as any vehicle parked over it will be blocking its use by the Fire Services.

The consultation finishes on Friday, 3 November.

Important: Comments of support and objections can only be legally considered if a full address is given whether the response comes in by letter, email or by online survey. Link to consultation web page can be found here: : Newport and Carisbrooke TRO Consultation (iow.gov.uk) This includes the proposals listed above plus many others throughout Newport and Carisbrooke.

Welcome news has come in to say that, after two and half years without a post office, one will be opened in Newport at the Central Convenience Store from 1pm on Wednesday, 29 November 2023.

The following is taken from an Isle of Wight press release…

Since the Post Office inside the former Co-operative on South Street/Pyle Street closed in February 2021, Shaping Newport — a collaboration between Newport Business Association, Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and the Isle of Wight Council — has worked to bring services back.

The two-position Post Office Local Plus, at 129 High Street, will offer customers a range of Post Office services, from posting letters and parcels to collecting and returning online shopping items.

Customers can also take advantage of various banking services including cash withdrawals and balance enquiries for all the main UK banks.

The opening hours will be Monday to Sunday, 6am until 10.30pm.